Article Provided by Stephanie Clark | Crime Prevention Committee Chairperson
It’s almost time for the school bells to ring and students to return to their classrooms. The American Red Cross offers ten ways to help make sure your student is safe as they head back to school for the upcoming year.
If your student rides a bus to school, they should plan to get to their bus stop early and stand away from the curb while waiting for the bus to arrive.
Students should board the bus only after it has come to a complete stop and the driver or attendant has instructed them to get on. They should only board their bus, never an alternate one.
All students should stay in clear view of the bus driver and never walk behind the bus.
Cross the street at the corner, obey traffic signals and stay in the crosswalk.
Never dart out into the street or cross between parked cars.
If children go to school in a car, they should always wear a seat belt. Younger children should use car seats or booster seats until the lap-shoulder belt fits properly (typically for children ages 8-12 and over 4’9”), and ride in the back seat until they are at least 13 years old.
If a teenager is going to drive to school, parents should mandate that they use seat belts. Drivers should not use their cell phone to text or make calls and avoid eating or drinking while driving.
Some students ride their bike to school. They should always wear a helmet and ride on the right, in the same direction as the traffic is going.
When children are walking to school, they should only cross the street at an intersection, and use a route along which the school has placed crossing guards.
Parents should walk young children to school, along with children taking new routes or attending new schools, at least for the first week to ensure they know how to get there safely. Arrange for students to walk to school with a friend or classmate.
Parents of younger kids, especially those going to school for the first time, should make sure the child knows their phone number, address, how to get in touch with their parents at work, how to get in touch with another trusted adult and how to dial 911. Teach them not to talk to strangers or accept rides from someone they don’t know.
Drivers should slow down as children head back to school. Know that yellow flashing lights indicate the bus is getting ready to stop and motorists should slow down and be prepared to stop. Red flashing lights and an extended stop sign indicate the bus is stopped and children are getting on or off.
Motorists must stop when they are behind a bus, meeting the bus or approaching an intersection where a bus is stopped. Motorists following or traveling alongside a school bus must also stop until the red lights have stopped flashing, the stop arm is withdrawn, and all children have reached safety. This includes two and four-lane highways. If physical barriers such as grassy medians, guide rails or concrete median barriers separate oncoming traffic from the bus, motorists in the opposing lanes may proceed without stopping. Do not proceed until all the children have reached a place of safety.
PREPARE FOR EMERGENCIES Know what the emergency plan is at your child’s school in case a disaster or an unforeseen event occurs. Develop a family emergency plan so everyone will know who to contact and where to go if something happens while children are at school and parents are at work. Details are available at redcross.org/prepare.
TAKE A FIRST AID CLASS Learn and practice first aid and CPR skills by taking a course so you can help save a life. Download the free Red Cross First Aid App for instant access to information on handling the most common first aid emergencies whether it be before, during or after school. You can find it by searching for ‘American Red Cross’ in your app store or at redcross.org/apps.
Attention CPRV Parents & Kids of All ages!! Join the Social Events Committee, led by Riverview Neighborhood Representative and event sponsor Patience McCartney, on April 19th for an Easter Egg Hunt in the Delaware x Colonial circle.
Samantha Miller, Environmental Project Coordinator for Elizabeth River Project joined us to share details about Knitting Mill Creek health and Phases 2 and 3 of the Mayflower Path restoration project coming in Spring 2025. See her full presentation from the meeting below.
Find out about speakers for upcoming meetings, an update on phases 2 and 3 of the Mayflower Path Restoration Project, Spring into March with a kid-friendly St. Patrick’s Day activity, local events calendar, and much more!
It was “GAME ON” at the CPRV Community Meetup, at P I X E L S pints & bytes, Saturday, February 15th from 12pm to about 2pm. Neighbors enjoyed a variety of appetizers and refreshments & free game tokens, provided by the civic league’s social events committee and our hosts at Pixels. 👾🕹️
The CPRV Civic League’s Social Events Committee invites you to join them for an afternoon of games and nostalgia at @pixels.norfolk on Saturday, February 15th from 12:00pm to 1:30pm, in a reserved space on the 2nd floor. Neighbors of all ages are welcome! The Social Events Committee will provide light refreshments and game tokens will be provided, in part, by our gracious hosts at Pixels.
We were joined by Guest Speaker Amena Anderson, Bank On Coordinator with the City of Norfolk. Bank On Hampton Roads is a partnership of participating banks, credit unions, and community organizations across Hampton Roads designed to help you take control of your finances. LEARN MORE
Representatives from counsel to McDonald’s Corp. will also attend the Meeting to present their proposed site improvement plans, mainly including their drive-through, parking, and landscaping – see plan and renderings below.
Officer Brenton Blakeslee, our Community Resource Officer, who provided the latest crime report
We were also joined by a special surprise guest Councilwoman Courtney Doyle who shared updates about ATV issues, now being impounded and Sold or Disposed by Norfolk PD at their discretion, MetroNet internet is making progress with installation fulfilment and getting good feedback, reminded us about some new council members, and that the City Manager assured council members that our water treatment plants for Norfolk are partitioned and less prone to a situation such as the one Richmond recently experienced.
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